Best Stretching Exercises for Cyclists

Cycling is one of the most popular sports for cardiovascular exercise because of its accessibility and wide range of health benefits, but safely cycling involves paying attention to your body’s needs and working to maintain a balanced physique. Cyclists who specialize in the sport often find they run a risk of developing an imbalanced development of their musculature without conscientious training to ensure balanced strength and conditioning. Otherwise, the rapid linear movements involved in the sport can cause hypertrophy in a few key areas while leaving others under-exercised. Here are a few essential exercises you can use as a starting point to build up your own custom routine.

3 Key Stretches

Remember, in addition to safe stretching and a rounded training schedule, investing in hybrid bikes can help with training by allowing you to switch on assistance when you need a rest interval while pushing your boundaries during intensive exercise intervals. You can find them in a variety of popular styles, so check them out if you’re currently looking for womens bikes for sale. Just make sure you do these warm-ups before you go out for a ride, whether or not you are using the electric assistance.

  1. Stretch the neck and upper trapezius to loosen up your arms and shoulders for steering and quickly surveying surroundings. It’s also important to remember that your whole body helps provide the power to your legs, so stretching from top to bottom is a good idea. Sit with a straight back and grip the seat under your thigh with one hand. Lean away from that side to stretch the arm and upper shoulder, and then continue stretching the neck away from that side. After five to ten seconds, release and repeat on the other side.
  2. An abdominal stretch comes next. Loosening up your abs and waking up all the muscle groups helps channel power from the hips and core, allowing you to really turn up your force when you’re in a hill climbing gear. Lie on your stomach with your palms flat on the ground in about the place you would put them for pushups, but with your elbows folded under and your arms parallel to your body. Then lift yourself by the arms while allowing your back to arch and strech, leaving your legs flat on the ground so you bend from the hips upward. Hold for ten seconds and repeat once or twice if needed, especially if you’re riding bikes for men.
  3. The last essential stretch is a hip flexor/quad stretch that you’re probably already familiar with if you’ve ever seen or done stretching that looks like you’re strategically taking a knee, just with a more disciplined posture. This loosens the glutes, hip flexors, and quad muscles, allowing you to channel that power down from your core into your legs to get more speed and power as you need it.

There are more stretches you can do to loosen up, and it’s a good idea to go beyond these three, but they’ll get you started if you’re trying to build a routine and you’re focusing on keeping it sustainable until you make it a habit.

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